Process of treating furs



Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF TREATING FURS No Drawing.

This invention relates to a process for treating furs which is adapted for use by treating or dressing furs and fur bearing skins.

. In cleaning and renovating furs or fur garments, it is common to treat the same with various cleaning fluids to remove grease, dirt and foreign matter therefrom, and to render the furs soft and pliable softening oils are employed, being rubbed into the fur and skin. In the case of fur dressers and dyers the skins must be treated with various chemicals, dressing oils, etc. to properly prepare the same.

After a fur or fur garment has been cleaned and renovated and after a skin has been dyed or treated by the fur dyer or dresser, it is necessary to remove from the fur or skins the cleaning fluids, solutions, oils and oily substances which have been used in treating the same and also the dirt, talcum and other foreign substances adhering thereto. This involves more or less difliculty and expense as the materials heretofore used for this purpose, such as sawdust, are not sufficiently absorptive to readily take up the fluids, chemicals, oils and greases and they also lack other desirable properties.

It has been found that finely divided or comminuted materials or meals made from corn cobs are an excellent product for use by furriers or fur dyers and dressers for treating furs in the place of sawdust or other materials heretofore employed. The corn cob material may be produced in any desired manner which will disintegrate the cobs and reduce'them to materials or meals having the desired degree offineness. The process outlined in my prior Patent No. 1,598,328 may be used. The corn cob material or meals may, of course, be produced in different degrees of fineness. A relative coarse material or meal having ap roxi-mately the fineness of sawdust 'Inay e advantageously used by furriers or by fur dyers and finishers as a so-Called roughing material and a somewhat finer material or meal is valuable as a finishing material. These materials Application filed May 27, 1929. Serial No. 866,524.

and meals can be produced so as to be free from flour or dust which is an important consideration.

The corn cob materials and meals possess properties which make them highly satisfactory for treating furs, as above stated. These materials and meals have been found to be highly absorptive, being capable of taking up from three to four times their weight in liquid, and consequently they will readily absorb any cleaning fluids, chemicals, oils, greases or solutions which are present on or in the furs or skins being treated, thus leaving them clean and dry and free from any matted condition. The corn cob materials and meals have also been found to contain ingredients which serve to polish and brighten the furs and give them an excellent gloss and luster. Another and important advantage of the corn cob materials and meals is that they are completely neutral and will not spot, stain, color or discolor any kind of fur, skins or garment lining. Also such materials will not adhere to the furs or fur bearing skins and they are free from dust and flour which is often objectionable in the case of sawdust or other materials, thus making the corn cob materials and meals easier to handleand more sanitary and agreeable to use. Another advantage of these materials lies in the fact that they are harder and more rugged than sawdust and consequently will last much longer and require less weight of material, thus effecting substantial economies over other materials.

In treating furs, fur garments or fur bearing skins with the corn cob materials or meals, the same operations may be used as are customary in using sawdust or other materials. That is, the corn cob materials or meals may be rubbed into the fur articles by hand or, if desired, -they may be tumbled in a drum along with a" quantity of the corn cob material or meal. After the corn cob material has thus been rubbed into or otherwise brought into intimate contact with the furs and fur articles, the material can be easily removed from or shaken out of the furs and they will be left dry, clean, soft and glossy and greatly improved in all respects. As

previously noted, it is sometimes advantageous to first treat the fur with the com cob material in relatively coarse condition having approximately the fineness of sawdust and then with the material in finer condition.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of treating furs and fur articles which consists in bringing into intimate contact with the furs and fur articles a finely comminuted material or meal made from corn cobs.

2. A method of treating furs and fur articles which consists in agltating the same in the presence of material or meal made from corn cobs.

3. A method of treating furs and fur articles which consists in first applying to the same a material or meal made from corn cobs and thereafter applying to the same a finer material or meal made from corn cobs.

4. A method of treating furs and fur articles which consists in treating the same with a finely comminuted material or meal made from corn cobs and which is substantially free from dust or flour.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

- CHARLES C. TRUAX. 

